Bush obtained
his biggest plurality of any state except for Texas in North Carolina,
373,471 votes.

In the words of one North
Carolina Republican, this was a potentially realigning election.
Republican congressmen Charles Taylor and Robin Hayes, among the DCCC's
top targets, were re-elected comfortably; Republicans gained five seats
in House, and they elected a chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme
Court for the first time in history. However, they failed to take
the governorship. Republican nominee Richard Vinroot attempted to
tie the Democrat, Mike Easley, to Al Gore, and to link himself to Bush.
For example, one of his TV ads from early October noted that, "Easley won't
be seen with Al Gore in public." An ad from later in the month began,
"Like Al Gore, Mike Easley is telling whoppers." The ad concluded
labeling Easley "an Al Gore liberal who will raise taxes but denies it."
Such themes, along with attempts to tie in with Bush, were a constant refrain
from the Vinroot campaign. The strategy, which might have been more
appropriate to a U.S. Senate race, did not pay off for Vinroot as he lost
by 169,364 votes.

Tobacco is an important part
of the economy in North Carolina; the issue did not favor Gore. For
example, a Sept. 13, 2000 news release "North Carolina Congressmen Blast
Gore's $66 billion tobacco tax" contained searing quotes about Gore from
Congressmen Coble, Burr, Hayes and Ballenger and Jones. An example:
"...his careless double-talking jeopardizes North Carolina’s tobacco industry,
from the farmers and the manufacturers to local consumers who rely on the
industry’s success." (Burr)

Sen. John Edwards
was on Gore's short list of vice presidential prospects and was the focus
of considerable attention for about a week until the Lieberman pick became
public on Aug. 7, 2000. Edwards was reportedly runner-up to Lieberman;
his political inexperience tipped the balance to the Connecticut Senator.

Gore and his family took
a week-long vacation at a borrowed home on Figure Eight Island, North Carolina
through Aug. 3.

NaderRalph Nader was not on the
ballot and did not visit North Carolina during the fall campaign.
His one visit was on May 2. Nader State Coordinator: Doug Stuber.

BuchananPat Buchanan spoke at Campbell
University in Buies Creek on Oct. 11.On Aug. 24, after hearing
from Buchanan and Hagelin supporters, the State Board of Elections voted
3 to 1 to put Buchanan on the ballot as the Reform Party presidential candidate.
North Carolina Reform Party supporters of Hagelin went to court; Wake County
Superior Court Judge Howard Manning ruled Buchanan should remain on the
ballot as the Reform Party candidate on Sept. 8.

BrowneAt Winston-Salem on debate
day Oct. 11 Harry Browne did a radio interview and a television
program on the Wake Forest campus, then spoke at the "Rock the Vote" concert
nearby. During the debate he participated in "mirror" debate for
Lycos.com and afterwards he answered debate questions for FreedomChannel.com.